Tomás Clancy: We’ve had one good game but need to follow that up
It’s been a difficult couple of years for Cork football, but Tomás Clancy feels a corner has been turned,
FOR those fans that suffer every time Cork miss a point, drop a pass or get torn apart by a rampant Kerry or beaten off the pitch by a less than impressive Cavan, the seemingly never ending pain that comes with supporting Cork’s footballers seems like punishment for some crime committed in a previous life.
Cork used to sit religiously at the top table of Gaelic football with few counties, if any, capable of taking on the Rebels and beating them on a regular basis. However, for some time now, that hasn’t been the case as the county’s largest county has struggled to get anything like the consistency required in its endeavours.
While one swallow rarely makes a summer, there is optimism outside of the squad that things are about to change and the impressive win over Tipperary last time out seems to be tangible proof that perhaps the dark tunnel is about to come to an end.
Inside the senior set-up, as one might expect, things are a little different, as Cork players continue to throw everything they have at getting their county back to where they belong – and while the road is long the players and management continue to believe that what they are striving for is possible.
Fermoy’s Tomás Clancy is one such player and, while the Avondhu man has seen his fair share of disappointment since joining up with the seniors in 2013, the PHD student believes that Cork are on the right road with still plenty to do.
“Not too bad [the year so far]. The league was a bit of a mixed bag and the last day was a good performance. I suppose, overall, what we’ve been striving for a consistency in our performances that we didn’t really have throughout the league but we’ve had a good start to championship now.
“We’ve had one good game, but we need to follow that up now next Saturday.”
Cork’s injury list has been of some concern throughout this season to date, but Clancy isn’t going down that route as an excuse.
“We knew they would be back so at the end of the day, that’s no excuse. We all went out there to give the best that we could on a given day and sometimes that didn’t happen.
“We just focused on one game at the time, playing in the present, to be honest. Nobody ever really mentioned guys who were missing and who could come back, that’s no excuse for those performances.”
Heading into the Tipperary game Clancy felt his side dealt with all the external negative vibes well and dint let any pessimism seep into the squad.
“To be honest, I think we did a good job that way [dealing with the pressure],” he says.
“We were just focused on ourselves. Obviously, we knew we were playing Tipp and we looked at them a small bit but we’ve realised over the last few years that we need to look at ourselves, first and foremost.
“I wouldn’t say relief, I think we came off the field fairly happy, I think you could the see the lads enjoyed playing and the performance we did put in. That’s another incentive – that you do get the enjoyment from putting in a performance like that
While some are looking at the Munster Football final on a Saturday night as being close enough to sacrilege not to count, Clancy takes a different view and would describe himself as a fan of the concept.
“I actually am, I prefer that. I know some people wouldn’t agree, but I enjoy it. The only thing is that you’re waiting around all day! I love the evening games, I think there’s a good vibe there for those types of games.”
And is that vibe alive and well in in the dressing room?
“I think everyone is enjoying it, going out and expressing themselves is the main thing. There’s a been a good influx of new players and they’ve brought a really good vibe.
“We’ve added some good players during the league and everyone’s adding to competition within the place to get on the starting 15 or even the 26. Those lads have added massively to the squad this year.”
Mixing a PHD in chemistry with professional levels of sporting endeavour is never going likely to be easy however the hugely talented all-rounder is almost a master at it by now.
“It’s a research PhD, so I’ve been there four and-a-half years now. Time-management is key, but I’ve been used to that from a young age, I played three or four sports at the one time when I was young.
“I tried to balance them and I enjoyed it. It’s good now, you’re either getting a break from study or a break from the lads here inside. It’s win-win, I think.”
Clancy may be one of the
It’s a big occasion, we must look after ourselves and hopefully we can feed off the occasion itself
country’s top footballers, but his sporting talents spread much further than the big O’Neills ball.
“I played basketball, soccer, hurling, and still play hurling with Fermoy. I try to play soccer too in the off-season, but I haven’t for about two years, but I got some training in.
“My dad’s heavily involved with the Fermoy soccer club, but I’d always play hurling when I get a chance.”
Away from all the trials and tribulations of mixing a life of academia and sport Clancy has the small matter of a date with the old enemy this weekend and the north Cork man is really looking forward to it.
“Kerry are one of the top teams in the country, we knew that before, everyone knows that. We’ll apply the same philosophy as against Tipp, just look at ourselves.
“Obviously, they did put in a good performance [against Clare], but what we’ve found is that we have to look after ourselves.
“We have to come out of the traps running, come out all guns blazing and just put in a performance and look after ourselves. If that’s good enough, hopefully it will be and we’ll get over the line.
“It’s a big occasion, but as I said we must look after ourselves and hopefully then we can feed off the occasion itself. Get ourselves right first, that’s the main thing.”
Clancy will do all he can to hold Kerry’s attacking players at bay on Saturday night and, while the task is great, the man is well capable.